New Delhi, June 25
The Congress today appeared to be in no hurry to seek Union Minister Virbhadra Singh’s resignation after a Shimla court decided to frame charges against the former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister who promptly denied these allegations, describing them as “concocted and politically motivated.”

The Congress is at present focused on next month’s Presidential election and it clearly does not want to get embroiled in any fresh controversy by seeking Virbhadra’s resignation at this stage. The UPA government has already seen the exit of two ministers, A Raja and Murasoli Maran, over the past year after corruption charges were slapped against them. It would not like to add a third to the list of casualties at a time when the ruling combine is preoccupied in handling a difficult economic situation.

While the BJP was quick to go on the offensive and demand Virbhadra’s resignation, the Congress was circumspect in its response. Stating that the party will take a decision after looking at the charges, AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said, “There is a procedure for everything...we will go through the charge sheet first.” The Prime Minister will also be looking into this matter as it involves a member of the Union Cabinet, Dwivedi added.

An AICC office-bearer maintained that “mere framing of charges is no ground for resignation,” adding that even the Election Commission debarr a candidate from contesting an election if he or she had been convicted in a case. Besides, it was pointed out that the party would wait for the judicial process to be run its course as Virbhadra has already moved the HC.

While the party has decided to duck the issue for the moment, Congress leaders admit the court’s decision will prove to be a setback for Virbhadra, who is seeking a sixth term as the Chief Minister in the year-end Assembly polls in the state. The BJP, which is heading the state government, will predictably grab at this opportunity to up the ante against the former Chief Minister, who is the Congress party’s only mass leader in the state. His detractors in the party will also intensify their campaign against him. Virbhadra had organised a public rally in Shimla just two days ago as a show of strength in the run-up to the Assembly polls.

Virbhadra, however, refuted the charges against him, stating that these were “concocted” and a conspiracy by the BJP-led government in the state. It was stated that the former CM had already filed a writ in the high court which would had to be re-heard.

“Thus the matter is still subjudice” his lawyer said, adding that the full exercise of framing of charges had not been undertaken.

Shimla, June 25
The order of Special Judge BL Soni framing charges against Union Minister Virbhadra Singh in the much-publicised audio-CD case has given a severe setback to his plans to return to state politics and adorn the office of the Chief Minister for the sixth time.

The court verdict has come just two days after his supporters virtually declared him to be the next Chief Minister at a “massive rally” specially organised to celebrate the completion of his 50 years in politics.

It is not the final word and the legal battle in the matter has still quite someway to go. However, there could be a serious political fallout for the veteran leader as not only the ruling BJP but his detractors within Congress , who have been gunning for his scalp and keen to see his exit from the Union Cabinet, will build pressure on him to resign. More so, if he fails to get any relief from the high court, which is already in the picture.

Aware of all this, Virbhadra has already stated that he would go by the wishes of the high command and would not embarrass the government.

The BJP, which is making a determined bid to retain power in the state, has reason to be pleased as the development will have implications for the Congress as a whole ahead of the Assembly poll. Virbhadra is the tallest party leader with mass appeal.

The party’s poll prospects may be hurt if he is forced to withdraw from the centre stage in the run up to the poll.

The next move of the beleaguered leader, who has vowed to remove Chief Minister PK Dhumal from power, will be watched with interest and anxiety by both the BJP and within the Congress.

Equations within the Congress will change and the state party chief Kaul Singh, who has been engaged in a running battle against Virbhadra, will emerge stronger. He also enjoys the backing of the high command and Union Minister Anand Sharma.

Much will depend on the high command which will have to take a pragmatic decision keeping in view the Assembly poll.

Having tasted defeat in Punjab and failed to get a clear majority in Uttarakhand, the party cannot afford to lose elections in Himachal. With the UPA government under attack from all quarters on the issue of corruption, price rise and indifferent governance, the overall scenario in the country is not very encouraging for the Congress.

However, as far as Himachal is concerned, the silver lining is that the electorate has been invariably voting for a change since 1985 with the BJP emerging victorious in 1990, 1998 and 2007 and the Congress in 1985, 1993 and 2003.

Solan, June 25
Untrained security guards deployed at Makhnumajra-based Aristo Pharmaceuticals, where five policemen were thrashed by employees last evening, had failed to initiate timely action against the protesting employees, thus aggravating the situation. SP, Baddi, Gurdev Chand Sharma said the security agency that was providing services to the unit had neither got itself registered with the Police Department nor had hired trained men to deal with such situations.

He added that the unit management had also failed to provide information about the brewing discontent among workers after they were refused permission to visit their dead colleague at PGI, Chandigarh.

A case of negligence has been registered against the management.

The private security guards instead of coming to the rescue of the management at the beginning of the dispute had gone missing so as to avoid getting into a confrontation with the employees.

The agency had also violated the HP Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act, 2005, by not even initiating the process of seeking a license. The unregistered agency was operating illegally as the state had made it mandatory for all security agencies to get seek a license and get their staff trained from April 1 this year.

A case under Sections 307, 325, 330, 353 and 342 of the IPC was registered today after the police identified eight employees involved in the thrashing incident. They were identified after interrogating the about 100 employees, who had been detained after the incident last evening. They hail from Bihar.

Bharmour, June 25
The state government will consider engaging educated unemployed youth from nearby areas to fill vacancies of teacher in government schools for a specific period to meet the shortage of staff.

This was stated by Chief Minister PK Dhumal at Bharmour tribal township in Chamba district after performing the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the local Government Degree College to be constructed at a cost of Rs 8.28 crore and dedicating the tourist hostel building constructed at a cost of Rs 1.25 crore to tourists visiting the scenic mountainous valley.

The CM later presided over a Prashasan Janta ke Dwar camp and said the objective of organising this was to address grievances of people and solve their problems at their doorstep.

He said the state government was sincerely endeavouring to provide succour to people from the rising prices by giving subsidy. He said this year Rs 140 crore was being spent by the state government for the purpose.

The CM reiterated his government's resolve for speedy development of backward and far-flung areas and said the development of Bharmour was also being given priority.

While listening to people’s grievances, Dhumal directed BDO Mehla to construct a Marasa-Matlog jeepable road under MNREGA. He also assured them that the upgradation of high school at Brehi to senior secondary school would be considered. He also directed Forest and PWD officials to construct the Brehi road in case of its feasibility. He also sanctioned Rs 2 lakh for the construction of a path to the Lamdal Committee.

HP Vidhan Sabha speaker Tulsi Ram Sharma, who represents the Bharmour tribal Assembly constituency, thanked the Chief Minister for the all-round development of his constituency and Chamba district as a whole.

The Speaker sought the opening of a sub-tehsil office at Durgethi.

Nurpur, June 25
To control a stone-throwing crowd of villagers assembled at Hara Chowk, Fatehpur in Jawali subdivision, the police resorted to a mild lathi-charge and tear gas shells to disperse violent crowd today. Thousands of villagers of surrounding 25 gram panchayats started a dharna at Fatehpur at 8 am to protest against the Jawali police for its ongoing investigations into the alleged murder of Rajat (15) of Bhatti village.

The boy had been missing since June 2 and his skeleton was recovered on June 17 from the nearby Pong lake. They blocked traffic at Hara Chowk, Maira-Palli-Jawali and Barot-Bhanal-Jawali link roads today for hours.

The Kangra police had, however, made elaborate police arrangement to maintain law and order. A number of police personnel and agitators received injuries during the cane-charge. The injured were rushed to nearby health institutions.

Trouble started when the DC and the SP of Kangra arrived on the spot to pacify agitators. They tried to hold talks with leaders of the agitators, but the crowd turned violent.

Dissatisfied with police investigations, the villagers, led by the Atyachar Virodhi Sangathan, had held today’s protest demonstration.

SP Daljeet Thakur said the police had used only tear gas shells in self defence and to disperse the violent crowd. He denied any lathi charge on the occasion. He claimed that the police had been thoroughly investigating the case.

Solan, June 25
Private doctors under the banner of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Solan Doctors’ Association (SDA) today observed a one-day token strike against the unilateral decisions of the Centre over the introduction of the National Commission for Human Resources for Health (NCHRH) Bill and the Bachelor's Degree in Rural Health Care (BRHC).

President of the Solan chapter of the IMA Dr HS Ahuja and SDA’s president Dr Sanjay Grover said today that they were opposed to the anti-patient and anti-doctor policies of the Union Government, which also included the implementation of the Clinical Establishment Act (CEA) that imposed such standards for infrastructure, space, equipment and qualified paramedical staff on clinics, nursing homes and hospitals that, if implemented, would increase the cost of health care beyond the reach of the common man.

The CEA, 2010, was passed in Parliament without any discussion and involvement of doctors representatives or associations and has been adopted by the state without amendment.

Doctors said the NCHRH Bill would provide powers to the Centre to appoint non-medical persons as members in the commission and there was no provision for representation of professional associations or medical universities.

The commission’s decision on disciplinary action against doctors could not be questioned in any court of law. Further, the non-medical nominated members would make decisions with regard to medical, dental and paramedical education. The Bill was aimed at usurping powers of state governments and also infringing rights of medical practitioners.

The IMA is also protesting the introduction of the BRHC Bill. Through the BRHC, the Centre wants to introduce three-and-a-half-year course to produce half-baked healthcare practitioners endangering lives of the poor in rural areas.

HAMIRPUR: The Hamirpur district unit of the IMA today observed “black day” on the call of the IMA.

Members of the IMA submitted a memorandum to the Central Government through the DC, Hamirpur, to lodge their protest.

Addressing a press conference, district patron of the IMA Vinod Sharma, president Vinod Sharma and secretary Vikas Mandial said the implementation of these provisions would make the medical practice difficult and treatment costly for people.

They said the dissolution of the MCI and the creation of “a corporate like new body” would deprive states from sending their representatives in the Central body affecting its autonomy.

It also urged the Centre to consider objections raised by the IMA on these issues.

Shimla, June 25
The insensitivity of the medical fraternity was at its worst when doctors refused to release the body of a 45-year-old woman, who died while being treated at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) last night allegedly due to doctors’ negligence.

While the family of Shanti Devi, hailing from Sadhuri village in Rajgarh sub-division, accused doctors of negligence resulting in her death, the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) went on a strike demanding immediate arrest of attendants of the deceased.

They even refused to release the body and it was finally after the intervention of Health Minister Rajeev Bindal, which helped the family get the corpse finally at 3.30 pm after the post-mortem examination was performed.

Even as the sons and other family members of the patient, hailing from the BPL category gave it in writing to the SHO of Lakkar Bazar police station that since their mother was dead they did not wish to pursue any case against doctors or the hospital, the resident doctors were adamant that they would not release the body at any cost.

The police also tried to convince the doctors to end the issue as the family was giving an undertaking for the same but they refused to relent, alleging that a doctor had been beaten up by the attendants.

The Health Minister also said he had directed the medical superintendent to probe the matter rather than going on a one-sided version.

“Doctors must understand that the family is in a state of trauma and shock and their act of not releasing the body is not acceptable,” he remarked.

However counter FIRs have been registered by the family of the deceased and the doctors.

Shanti Devi, who had hurt her hipbone after she fell from a tree, was admitted to the IGMC after she was referred from the Solan government hospital.

“It was at 8 pm last night that the doctors fixed a rod in the ward itself on the leg of my mother after which she started crying in pain which became unbearable,” said her son Hem Raj.

He said it was after repeated requests that the attending doctor came and suddenly pressed the alarm button that she had to be put on oxygen and injections have to be given.

“Within an hour’s time my mother was no more which was shocking as she was merely being treated for a dislocated hip and no serious ailment,” he said.

He added that when he asked the attending doctor as to what went wrong, he slapped him and his friend.

While Principal of IGMC Dr SS Kaushal said the RDA had called off the strike with the demand that they should get security but the president of RDA Dr Rajeev Chauhan said since a counter case had been registered against the attending doctor, they would decide tomorrow morning their future course of action.

Shimla, June 25
The State Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission has issued notices to two upcoming private universities for the violation of admission norms and issuing an advertisement for courses without obtaining the mandatory approval from the government.

In the notice to APG University, it has pointed out that it was not adhering to the established norms with regard to the “admission procedure” for the academic session 2012-13.

It had advertised several courses in the engineering, management, fashion management, legal studies and hotel management streams through its official website www.apg.edu.in <http://www.apg.edu.in> and newspapers without approval from the competent authority.

The action of the university tantamount to the violations of the provisions contained in Section 9 of the HP Private Educational Institutions (Regulatory Commission) Act.

The commission has directed the university under Rule 5 (1-A) to strictly adhere to the established norms with regard to the admission procedure and clarify its position with regard to advertising unapproved courses within a week, failing which appropriate action will be taken against the university and the sponsoring body.

In case of IEC University, Kallu Jhanda, the commission has taken notice of the fact that the government vide letter dated June 13, 2012, accorded approval for the BTech (CE, CSE, ME, ECE, EE), BBA, MBA, MSc (physics, chemistry, mathematics), BCA and MCA courses for the academic session 2012-13. However, the university has advertised several other courses that are not approved by the competent authority in the streams of engineering, management, pharmacy, commerce and finance, art and fashion, humanities and applied sciences. It was a blatant violation of admission norms. The university has also been given a week’s time to respond to the notice.

Solan, June 25
With the administration failing to provide water to several villages of the Doon constituency the Opposition Congress has initiated a move to provide relief by hiring tankers to provide relief to the people.

Villagers of various panchayats, including Jagjitnagar, Patta Nali and Patta Bariya, had been forced to travel several kilometres a day to fetch water after the IPH Department failed to provide any relief. With adverse weather conditions drying up water schemes, the villagers had been demanding the administration to supply water through water tankers.

They, however, failed to get any positive response with the department caught up in the procedural formalities like calling tenders. Ramkumar Chowdhary, general secretary, Pradesh Congress Committee, who flagged off several vehicles carrying water to the panchayats last evening, said it was lamentable that the administration had failed to provide the basic facility of water to the villages.

He added despite several requests by people, Vinod Chandel, MLA Doon, had failed to speed up the process of providing water to these villages. To add to their woes, forest officials had erected barbed wires on several under-construction roads and closed their entry for the villages. This had blocked the way to several natural sources of water.

Shimla, June 25
The BJP today demanded the resignation of Union Minister Virbhadra Singh in view of the court judgment in the CD case against him. Addressing a press conference here today, state BJP spokesperson Ganesh Dutt today said in the light of the court judgment which had said charges be framed against Virbhadra Singh, he must tender his resignation from the Union Cabinet.

Dutt said Virbhadra had himself said in case charges were framed against him, he would quit politics. “The Congress leader said he would resign from the Cabinet in cases charges were framed against him and he must honour his own words,” he said.

Palampur, June 25
Maheshwar Singh, president, Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP), yesterday categorically stated that he had no differences with Chief Minister PK Dhumal, but he was critical to the BJP high command who had never bothered to initiate action against corrupt BJP leaders of the state despite their written complaints against them. He also made a scathing attack on JP Nadda, Member, Rajya Sabha, who had allegedly misguided the BJP and forced them to quit the party.

Addressing a news conference at Dehara Gopipur on Saturday evening, Maheshwar said his party would make electoral adjustments for the Assembly elections with like-minded parties like the Himachal Swabhiman Party. He said he had already held discussions with its president Subhash Sharma and in principle he had agreed to join hands.

Chamba, June 25
Five persons were seriously injured when a Tata Sumo vehicle in which they were travelling veered off the road and rolled about 70 feet down the hillside near Khanora in the Chowari police station of Chamba last night, according to a police report received here today.

The report revealed that the injured persons had been rushed to the DRPGMC. The accident took place when the driver had parked the vehicle in a start condition on the road and himself descended down the vehicle to wait for a passenger. But in the meantime, the vehicle itself moved and fell down the hillside, the report stated. — OC

Chamba, June 25
The state government is spending Rs 12.10 crore on social security pensions during the fiscal year, said state Vidhan Sabha Speaker Tulsi Ram while presiding over a meeting of the district welfare committee at the local Bachat Bhawan recently.

The Speaker said 23,626 deserving persons were getting social security pensions in the district. — OC